The Cool Kids own August!

I'm starting a new thread for our new month! We own August--and we'll all come out of the month closer to our goals!

Reminder of how the thread works: it's for people trying to get out of their decade, and for maintainers who want to be here. (I think that covers everyone.) If you post here, you are, by definition, a Cool Kid, and only Cool Kids can post. If you're reading this and wondering if you're enough of a Cool Kid to participate, the answer is 'yes'--you are--chime in!

Our "theme" is to use lots of quotation marks and to have a "Share of the day" where you share anything Cool Kids share with other Cool Kids. Personal replies are welcome and encouraged.

Share of the day: My walking partner isn't at work today, but I walked this morning anyway. It was warm enough that I walked outside, leaving my "cardigan" over the mirror of my car so I wouldn't have to carry it while walking! I listened to Seanan McGuire and then Sawyer Brown--talk about "different" types of music!

Share of the day: When teaching someone how to sew, keep in mind that "uneven" seams (inconsistent seam allowances) leads to some really poorly fitting clothes. However, how else is DD going to learn to sew?

Related second share: None of my customized patterns will fit anymore. If I start doing some sewing for myself I'm going to have to rework or remake patterns.

Morning everyone! My scale isn't "budging" either, but I put on a shirt that I had stored in the back of my closet because it was "too tight" and now it's loose around the sides!

Share of the day: now that I'm "running" outside every other day, I'm developing a pretty good "farmer's tan." Going to have to double time it on my arm workouts so I can start wearing sleeveless and even things out!

Share of the day: I was contacted a week ago about coming in to interview at a hotel for front desk, the manager said that he was impressed by my experience. Yet they waited until yesterday to call the schedule it and it was a different manager that called. This strikes me as disorganized so I am considering contacting them and telling them I took another position elsewhere and keep looking.

Beth That is awesome about the patterns! Hopefully it isn't too difficult to make new ones.

Ok, so in July I did a 21-day challenge to eat 1500 calories, walk 10,000 steps (or bike equivalent) and go to bed by 10 pm everyday. I did fine with calories and steps but not so well with sleep. That resulted in losing 7 pounds, then gaining 3 , then losing 1 to net -5.
So for August 6-31 my new challenge is to stick with my 1500 calories but keep the carbs under 100g on non-training days, complete the Nerd Fitness Beginner Body Weight Routine 12 times (alternating with interval cardio days and rest days).
I'm fully expecting my daily weigh-ins to go wonky, but hopefully my September 1 measurements will show improvement.Beth - Good luck with the patterns...I'm a novice seamstress (mainly doll clothes) but I was just contemplating refitting a pair of jeans instead of buying the next size down. I'm already saving my daughter's old jeans for a quilt, so I figure if I mess up my tailoring, I'll just add my jeans to the pile, lol.pnkrckpixikat I agreee with you Issaknits should go sleeveless anyway!mygirlvj good for you! it's posts like yours that help keep me motivated - I can't wait to see where I am a year after starting.

Beth - Good luck with the patterns...I'm a novice seamstress (mainly doll clothes) but I was just contemplating refitting a pair of jeans instead of buying the next size down. .

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All i did with mine was take in the waist in back. That keeps them wearable about an extra size, and then they have to be replaced. Jeans are hard to work with because of their weight and because many of them have doubled seams. Most sewing machines don't have any problem with denim, but I would recommend a denim specific machine needle, or at least a larger needle (somewhere in the 14-16 range)

What I did:

I pinched in the back to see how much I wanted to take in from the waist. I did the pinches on both sides (rather than once in the middle). For most of mine, I had two 1" pinches to make into darts. (not an exact science, but it's okay)

I pinned and marked the top of the dart. (sewing chalk)

I pinned the dart, drawing a line (sewing chalk again) to where I wanted to end the dart--for most of my jeans, this was right above the back pocket. This forms a triangle which makes up the dart.

I stitched the dart, being sure to re-inforce the stitching at the top and bottom.

This is actually pretty easy to do and makes a big difference. The jeans will still be too big in the hips and thighs, but it will make them wearable a while longer!

Envious of your sewing skills, Beth. The closest I get to being a seamstress is being able to sew buttons back on and doing a basic hem job on my pants. Threading my sewing machine is considered a feat of engineering, especially if it's been a while since I knocked the dust off the cover.

fadedbluejeans, NERD FITNESS! I love that site! Steve's articles are just the sort of kick-in-the-pants movitation that I need. Unofficially, I'm doing my first six-week challenge right now, which has two weeks left before it's over. I haven't figured out what I'm going to have as my next six-week challenge after this one, but I'm working on it. I'm thinking that all my challenges are going to be video game themed after I get through with this "tutorial level" one.

Have you seen the Angry Birds workout? I'd be stuck on Level 1 for pushups forever! (maybe I need to add that as part of my next challenge?)

Gosh, if I went sleeveless, I'd blind people on the trail with the sheer paleness of my shoulders and upper arms. Everyone on my trail! Bring your sunglasses, I'm coming through!

pnkrckpixikat Nerd Fitness IS pretty awesome. I'm not really a gamer (would be if I had time, lol) but I do find Steve very motivating and there is lots of good info in a straightforward and humorous way. He seems to be one of those people who are just fun to be around.
Good luck with you challenge Issaknits. I've thought about joining one but right now I think it might be too much pressure. So, I'm doing my personal mini challenges til I find something that works (meaning: steady and a bit faster weight loss, healthy, sustainable). I did see the Angry Birds workout! maybe someday! My current pushups are inclines so I have to work up to doing a perfect regular pushup first, lol. Beth thanks for the sewing tips. The jeans I have in mind have a single seam on the outside of the legs, so I think I will be able to take in both the legs and the waist. We'll see. I'm not in a sewing mood yet.

@ Beth I too am envious of your sewing skills. Last summer (NZ here, so winter right now) I thought I would learn to sew as I have a few months off work. Never happened (best laid plans and all that) maybe this summer. It would be handy because losing weight can be so expensive. Not to mention how its never "symmetrical" loss, I am three different sizes at the moment.

My share: I made chocolate fudge on Monday because my husband wanted some. I made it in mini cupcakes though so that I could weigh them (instead of cutting and having uneven sized pieces) so that if I wanted to eat some I'd know exactly how much. Normally I'd devour fudge but I just realised I really have made a change. There is still fudge there, and when I have eaten it I have stuck to the my portion size.

__________________
"I've come too far to take orders from a cookie" - Thanks Nutrition junkie!
"If there was ever a zombie apocalypse Iíd be screwed at running away so I had better get fit because I canít shoot either" - Me

I've got to admit it's fun to have people be envious of my sewing skills, because I remember so many years of being envious of other people's sewing skills! I didn't learn to sew until I was about 30--and I made a lot of mistakes along the way. It's not unlike cooking--if you're careful and follow recipes, you create edible food. Once you're comfortable, you start expanding and making changes. I will admit to getting a bunch of help from my then-MIL.

My scale actually showed down today--186.6. I'm hoping it stays there--I've been around 188 for way too long.

We're going to visit my BFF for her birthday this weekend--eating at her house is easy, though--she shops with me in mind--lots of fresh fruits and veggies.

fadedbluejeans, let us know how your jeans turn out. I may do a few side seams of my own--I've got a pair or two I can do that to.

issaknits, I may have to look into that challenge. Everytime I've started weight stuff, I've slacked off.

mygirljv, i hope the scale is continuing to do good things!

Share of the day: I walked my 2 laps of the building faster than usual--yesterday was 19:30, today was closer to 18:30. My walking partner is off today--I walk faster without her. We were closer in speed when we started out, but I've gotten faster.

Today's share: we were in a store today with full length mirrors, I don't own one at home so I never really see myself. I looked at myself and had to look again because it wasn't "me". In my head I'm still so much larger than I actually am. My brain hasn't caught up with my body.

__________________
"I've come too far to take orders from a cookie" - Thanks Nutrition junkie!
"If there was ever a zombie apocalypse Iíd be screwed at running away so I had better get fit because I canít shoot either" - Me